The first few years of your child's life are filled with many precious moments, and many moments that may leave you wanting to pull your hair out. This is because as your child seeks to learn more about their environment and the people around them, they will often make quite a mess in the process. Thankfully, many of these messes can be cleaned up quite easily once you have the proper know-how to get the job done. So before you go flying off the deep end the next time your toddler spills their sippy cup full of red juice all over your beautiful white carpet, take just a moment to review the carpet cleaning process below. With this knowledge in hand, you will be able to quickly eliminate the juice stains and get back to making precious memories with your child.

Gather Your Supplies

• white cloths and towels (the bigger the spill, the more cloths you will need)
• baking soda
• white vinegar
• spray bottle
• tablespoon

Step 1: Blot, Blot, And Then Blot Some More

The first thing you should always do when removing a juice stain from your carpet is to soak up as much of the juice as possible. This should be done using a white cloth or paper towel in order to avoid transferring any colored dye to your carpet. In order to soak up the juice without driving it deeper into your carpet or damaging your carpet fibers, be sure to always use a blotting motion rather than scrubbing the area. Continue to blot the juice stain until you are no longer able to remove any juice without the aid of a cleaning solution.

Step 2: Lift Remaining Juice And Eliminate The Stain

You will need to begin by mixing a simple cleaning solution of water, vinegar, and baking soda. This mixture should consist of two parts water, one part vinegar, and a few tablespoons of baking soda. Pour your cleaning mixture into a spray bottle and spray this cleaning solution over the entire stained area until your carpet is just damp, not soaked.

Next, place a clean white cloth on top of the stain and use the back of your tablespoon to begin applying pressure to the cloth. Always start from the outside of the stain and work your way inward in a spiral pattern. This will allow you to lift the juice from your carpet without spreading the stain further.

After going over the entire stain with your spoon, lift the cloth to see if the stain has been successfully removed. If your carpet is still discolored, repeat this step until you have successfully removed every trace of the stain.

Step #3: Dry Your Carpet

The final step in your cleaning process will be to ensure your carpet dries thoroughly in order to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. This should be done by placing a few white towels on top of the damp area and applying pressure by placing a heavy object, such as a few books, on top of the towel. Allow the towel to sit overnight so that it can absorb all of the moisture from your carpet.

Once your carpet is completely dry, simply run your vacuum over the area to remove any baking soda residue that may be left behind and fluff your carpet fibers. If your carpet has stubborn stains that won't come out, you may want to contact a professional carpet cleaning company, like Kleen As A Whistle.